Loki's Ring by Stina Leicht

Author:Stina Leicht
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gallery / Saga Press
Published: 2023-03-28T00:00:00+00:00

11

“Place your personal items onto the conveyor and step into the processing chamber, please.” Seated at a tall desk behind a transparent aluminum wall, the bored Immigration and Border Security official motioned to a narrow booth to the left.

Karter turned to Ibis and Lissa, who were also in line. “I’ll wait for you in the corridor. We’ll grab some lunch.”

She dropped the bag containing her hand terminal onto the conveyor and emptied her pockets. This was Karter’s least favorite part of returning home. She understood the necessity. But medbot scans, updates, and reboots were awful. Granted, the procedure had become less uncomfortable thanks to recent advances, but it still felt like millions of ants moving around under her skin. It was an uneasy reminder that her body was inhabited by tiny machines she didn’t control. No matter how long that had been a part of her life, it creeped her out.

In the early days of space travel, physicians discovered the human immune system became a destructive force in closed, near sterile environments—for example, say, starships. Puzzling allergic reactions to commonly encountered materials cropped up, and if that weren’t enough, one was certain to develop multiple cancers over the course of a lifetime in space. Frequent and early medical intervention was a necessity. Thus, Terran Republic citizens and noncitizens alike were immunized with medbots. However, medbot standards varied dramatically outside of the TRW. Therefore, anyone who ventured elsewhere underwent mandatory checks upon their return.

Stepping inside the medbooth, Karter secured the door. The booth’s transparent walls grew opaque, becoming a shade of soft gray-white. There was a small carbon-gray bench and a matching side table. The bench was made of pressed plasteel. When she perched on its waffled surface, it transformed to become ergonomic for her measurements and weight.

She wished there was room enough to stretch out. The trip from Chimera Station had been intense, and she hadn’t had enough sleep. Soon, she’d need all her wits about her.

A calming synth voice informed her that in ten seconds, the first stage would begin. She was instructed to close her eyes and remain still. Bright light turned the insides of her eyelids deep crimson. Her skin crawled. The sensation lasted less than ten seconds. Once the exam was complete, she would be given a list of important health changes and recommendations. Karter made a point of regular return trips because it meant timely access to the best medical care, including rejuvenation treatments.

Space was hard on a body.

The exam hadn’t turned up anything new. She was postmenopausal. Her body was taking well to rejuvenation. Her bone density levels had improved. The migraine treatments and new weight training regimen were working. A new cancer had been discovered and treated during her last stay. So, it was a relief.

Karter endured two more bright flashes as her medbots were updated. Finally, an exit appeared. Once she was outside, the cubicle was locked down, disinfected, and cleared for the next patient. Entering the last official immigration room, her intersystem passport was verified and electronically stamped.

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